Did you know about George R. R. Martin
Martin also wrote a related series of novellas, Tales of Dunk and Egg, which have been adapted by HBO as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (2026–present).
Famous Birthdays on September 20
September 20 has 241 recorded notable births across history, from 917 to 2003. This focused page highlights 20 people with the strongest available profile context.
1948 — George R. R. Martin
American novelist and short story writer
By thisDay.info Editorial Team · — Wikipedia
Famous Birthdays
241 source records
917 – 2003
Virgo
Today in history
Major events on September 20
See what else happened on this day in history.
- 1217 Following the French defeat in the battle of Lincoln, prince Louis of France ratifies the treaty of Lambeth under which he abandons all claims to the English throne and returns to France in exchange of an indemnity payment. Source
- 1946 Six days after a referendum, King Christian X of Denmark annuls the declaration of independence of the Faroe Islands. Source
Did you know about Mahesh Bhatt
Known for his unconventional narratives and exploration of bold themes, he was one of the most prominent filmmakers in 80s and 90s Hindi cinema.
Did you know about Henrik Larsson
In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first campaign he helped the club win promotion to Allsvenskan after 24 seasons.
Did you know about Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was the first Haitian Emperor, leader of the Haitian Revolution, and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution.
Did you know about Leo Strauss
Leo Strauss was a German-American political philosopher and historian of philosophy whose work greatly influenced twentieth-century political theory in the United States and the study of classical political thought.
More major people born on September 20
Notable people are ranked by substantive profile depth and public notability.
1949
Mahesh Bhatt
Indian director, producer, and screenwriter
Mahesh Bhatt is a retired Indian film director, producer and screenwriter known for his works in Hindi cinema. Known for his unconventional narratives and exploration of bold themes, he was one of the most prominent filmmakers in 80s and 90s Hindi cinema. He has received a number of accolades, including five National Film Award and four Filmfare Awards. A notable film from his earlier period is Saaransh (1984), screened at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival. It became India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for that year. The 1986 film Naam was his first piece of commercial cinema. In 1987, he turned producer with the film Kabzaa under the banner, Vishesh Films, with his younger brother Mukesh Bhatt. In 2013, he was inducted into the Bollywood Walk of Fame, at Bandra Bandstand, where his hand print was preserved.
1971
Henrik Larsson
Swedish footballer and manager
Edward Henrik Larsson is a Swedish professional football coach and former player who played 106 times for the Swedish national team. A striker, Larsson began his career with Högaborgs BK. In 1992, he moved to Helsingborg IF where in his first campaign he helped the club win promotion to Allsvenskan after 24 seasons. He moved to Feyenoord in November 1993, staying for four years before leaving in 1997 to join Scottish Premiership club Celtic and enjoying great success there. During his time in the Dutch Eredivisie, he won two KNVB Cups with Feyenoord. He later played for Barcelona, earning the Spanish title twice and the Champions League before returning to Helsingborg. He had a loan spell at Manchester United, with whom he won the English Premier League in 2006–07, and retired in 2009.
1758
Jean-Jacques Dessalines
Haitian emperor (died 1806)
Jean-Jacques Dessalines was the first Haitian Emperor, leader of the Haitian Revolution, and the first ruler of an independent Haiti under the 1805 constitution. Initially regarded as governor-general, Dessalines was later named Emperor of Haiti as Jacques I (1804–1806) by generals of the Haitian Revolutionary army and ruled in that capacity until being assassinated in 1806. He spearheaded the resistance against French rule of Saint-Domingue, and eventually became the architect of the 1804 massacre of the remaining White French residents of newly independent Haiti. Alongside Toussaint Louverture, he has been referred to as one of the fathers of the nation of Haiti. Under the rule of Dessalines, Haiti became the first country in the Americas to permanently abolish slavery.
1899
Leo Strauss
German-American political scientist, philosopher, and academic (died 1973)
Leo Strauss was a German-American political philosopher and historian of philosophy whose work greatly influenced twentieth-century political theory in the United States and the study of classical political thought. He is known best for his interpretation of ancient and medieval philosophy, his account of classical natural right, and his claim that philosophers often wrote esoterically, presenting different teachings to general and specialist readers. Strauss argued that the modern turn in philosophy, beginning with Niccolò Machiavelli and culminating in historicism and relativism, marked a decisive break with the classical understanding of politics and the good life. His work sought to recover the questions and methods of ancient political philosophy as a corrective to the perceived crisis of modern thought.
1917
Red Auerbach
American basketball player and coach (died 2006)
Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach was an American professional basketball coach and executive. As head coach, he led the Boston Celtics to eight consecutive NBA championships between 1959 and 1966. On retiring in 1966, he held an NBA coaching record of 938 wins. He served as general manager of the Celtics from 1966 to 1984, and later as president and vice-chairman of the Board. He won a combined 16 NBA titles in his long career with the Celtics, the most of any individual, making him one of the most successful team officials in the history of North American professional sports. He served as president of the Celtics until his death in 2006 at the age of 89.
1980
Yung Joc
American rapper
Jasiel Amon Robinson, better known by his stage name Yung Joc, is an American rapper known for his 2006 single "It's Goin' Down", which peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Prior to its release, he signed with Puff Daddy's Bad Boy South, an imprint of Atlantic Records, in a joint venture with Block Entertainment; the song served as lead single for his debut studio album, New Joc City (2006). The album and its sequel, Hustlenomics (2007), both peaked at number three on the Billboard 200 despite mixed critical responses. He is also known for his guest appearance on T-Pain's 2007 single "Buy U a Drank ", which peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.
1982
Sexy Star
Mexican wrestler
Dulce María García Rivas is a Mexican professional wrestler, mixed martial artist and professional boxer who is better known by the ring name Sexy Star. She is best known for her work in Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA), where she is a three-time AAA Reina de Reinas Champion, while also being a former one-time AAA World Mixed Tag Team Champion. She previously wrestled under the name Dulce Poly and held both the FILL Women's Championship and the FILL Mixed Tag Team Championship under that name. She worked for Lucha Underground, where she was a former Lucha Underground Champion and Gift of the Gods Champion. She is the first woman to win the Lucha Underground Championship.
1951
Guy Lafleur
Canadian ice hockey player (died 2022)
Guy Damien Lafleur, nicknamed "the Flower" and "Le Démon Blond", was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He was the first player in National Hockey League (NHL) history to score 50 goals in six consecutive seasons as well as 50 goals and 100 points in six consecutive seasons. Between 1971 and 1991, Lafleur played right wing for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Quebec Nordiques in an NHL career spanning 17 seasons, and five Stanley Cup championships in 1973, 1976, 1977, 1978, and 1979. Lafleur was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1988, named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history in 2017, and was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada in 2022.
1935
Jim Taylor
American football player and sportscaster (died 2018)
James Charles Taylor was an American professional football player who was a fullback in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons, with the Green Bay Packers from 1958 to 1966 and with the expansion New Orleans Saints in 1967. With the Packers, Taylor was invited to five straight Pro Bowls and won four NFL championships, as well as a victory in the first Super Bowl. He was recognized as the NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) after winning the rushing title in 1962, beating out Jim Brown. An aggressive player and fluent trash talker, Taylor developed several personal rivalries throughout his career, most notably with New York Giants linebacker Sam Huff. This confrontational attitude, combined with his tenacious running style, a penchant for contact, and ability to both withstand and deliver blows, earned him a reputation as one of the league's toughest players.
1917
Obdulio Varela
Uruguayan footballer (died 1996)
Obdulio Jacinto Muiños Varela was a Uruguayan football player. He was the captain of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup after beating Brazil in the decisive final round match popularly known as the Maracanazo. He was nicknamed "El Negro Jefe" because of his dark skin and the influence he had on the pitch, especially during the unlikely victory over Brazil. He was of African, Spanish and Greek ancestry. Commonly regarded as one of the greatest classic holding midfielders, Varela was adept in defence and was renowned for his tenacity and leadership. He is regarded as one of the greatest captains in football history, and "he remains one of the biggest sporting heroes in Uruguay".
1983
Freya Ross
Scottish runner
Freya Ross is a Scottish long-distance runner who competed in the Marathon at the London 2012 Olympics. She mainly competed in road races, but was also successful on the track competing in 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, as well as cross country running. Ross represented Scotland in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres in the 2010 Commonwealth Games. in Delhi in October 2010. Some of her best road racing results were from 2009 and 2010 when she won the Great Ireland Run in 2010 and the Great Yorkshire Run in both 2009 and 2010 setting the course record in 2009. In February 2012, Freya won the Scottish Athletics National Cross Country for the sixth time in seven years.
1951
Javier Marías
Spanish journalist, author, and academic (died 2022)
Javier Marías Franco was a Spanish author, translator, and columnist. Marías published fifteen novels, including A Heart So White, Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me and the Your Face Tomorrow trilogy, widely regarded as his greatest achievement. In addition to his novels, he also published three collections of short stories and various essays. As one of Spain's most celebrated novelists, his books have been translated into forty-six languages and sold close to nine million copies internationally. He received several awards for his work, such as the Rómulo Gallegos Prize (1995), the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award (1997), the International Nonino Prize (2011), and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature (2011).
1978
Dante Hall
American football player
Damieon Dante Hall is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver and return specialist for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is nicknamed "the Human Joystick" and "the X-Factor". He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fifth round of the 2000 NFL draft. Hall played for the Chiefs for seven years before being traded to the St. Louis Rams in 2007. Hall was ranked the 10th greatest return specialist in NFL history on NFL Network's NFL Top 10 Return Aces. He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
1924
Hartini
wife of President Sukarno of Indonesia (died 2002)
Siti Suhartini, better known as Hartini and also known as Hartini Sukarno, was the fourth wife of President Sukarno of Indonesia. Born to a forestry worker in Ponorogo, Hartini was married in her youth to a man named Suwondo, with whom she had five children. She met Sukarno in 1952, and after exchanging a series of pseudonymous love letters and receiving the blessings of his wife Fatmawati, the two were married on 7 July 1954. Their union faced outrage, including protests from pro-monogamy women's organizations. Hartini was required to live at the Presidential Palace in Bogor rather than the main palace in Jakarta and was not recognized as first lady.
1976
Jon Bernthal
American actor
Jonathan Edward Bernthal is an American actor. Known for playing brash, hard-edged, ethically complex characters, he first achieved prominence for his portrayal of Shane Walsh on the AMC horror drama series The Walking Dead (2010–2012). He went on to portray Frank Castle / The Punisher in Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media beginning with the second season of Daredevil (2016), before starring in his own spin-off series The Punisher (2017–2019). He later starred in the first season of the revival series Daredevil: Born Again (2025), the Disney+ television special The Punisher: One Last Kill (2026) which he co-wrote, and the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).
1947
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
French journalist and author
Patrick Poivre d'Arvor is a French TV journalist and writer. He is a household name in France, and nicknamed "PPDA". With over 30 years and in excess of 4,500 editions of television news to his credit, he was one of the longest serving newsreaders in the world until he was fired in 2008. He presented his last newscast on TF1 on 10 July 2008. Since 2021, a total of 45 women have accused Patrick Poivre d'Arvor of sexual assault or rape that would have allegedly happened during decades prior. Twenty-five women filed a formal complaint. Among them, eight did so for alleged rape.
1925
Ananda Mahidol
King Rama VIII of Thailand (died 1946)
Ananda Mahidol was the eighth king of Siam from the Chakri dynasty, titled Rama VIII. At the time he was recognised as king by the National Assembly in March 1935, he went to Switzerland when he was nine years-old. He returned to Thailand in December 1945, but six months later, in June 1946, he was found shot dead in his bed. Although at first thought to have been an accident, his death was ruled a murder by medical examiners, and three royal aides were later executed following irregular trials. The mysterious circumstances surrounding his death have been the subject of much controversy.
1975
Asia Argento
Italian actress
Asia Argento is an Italian actress and filmmaker. The daughter of filmmaker Dario Argento, she has had roles in several of her father's features and achieved mainstream success with appearances in XXX (2002), Land of the Dead (2005), and Marie Antoinette (2006). Her other notable acting credits include Queen Margot (1994), Let's Not Keep in Touch (1994), Traveling Companion (1996), Last Days (2005), and Islands (2011). Argento is the recipient of several accolades, including two David di Donatello awards for Best Actress and three Italian Golden Globes. Her directorial credits include The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (2004) and Misunderstood (2014).
1965
Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen
Danish badminton player
Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen is a retired Danish badminton player and sports administrator. As a player, he won major international singles titles in the 1990s, culminated in the gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and ranks among Denmark's badminton greats. In 2013, he became president of the Badminton World Federation, having served as president of the Badminton Europe for three years, and then served three four-year terms. In 2014, Høyer became a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), he was also a board member of the Danish Olympic Committee from 2005, from which he also retired from in 2025.